Life preserver



F. A. WALES LIFE PRESERVER Aug. 22, 1967 Filed May 13, 1965 lnuenlor.F250 AUQLEs United States Patent Ofiiice 3,336,613 Patented Aug. 22,1967 3,336,613 LIFE PRESERVER Fred A. Wales, 31200 Stafford Drive,Birmingham, Mich.

48010; The Detroit Bank and Trust Company, administrator of said Fred A.Wales, deceased Filed May 13, 1965, Ser. No. 455,465 2 Claims. (Cl.9-312) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A life preserver in which a sealedflotation chamber of a generally rectangular ring shaped configurationis formed by a pair of like shell half members of sheet metal welded toeach other. A snugly fitting sleeve of fabric material span the spacebetween the sides of the rectangular ring configuration, the sleevebeing detachably secured in position on the preserver. Line attachmenteyelets are fixedly secured to the shorter ends of the rectangular ringconfiguration in a position such that the eyelets do not interfere withthe installation or removal of the fabric sleeve.

Objects and features of the invention will become apparent by referenceto the following specification and to the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse cross sectional view taken on line 22 of FIGURE1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the manner in which a fabricsleeve is installed on the preserver of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4, is a perspective view of the preserver with the fabric sleeveinstalled.

The life preserver designated generally 10 embodying my invention is,.as best seen in FIGURE 1, of a generally rectangular ring shapeconfiguration. The main body of the preserver is constructed from a pairof like upper and lower shell halves 12 and 14 which may be formed fromaluminum sheet material as by a stamping operation. As best seen in thecross sectional view of FIG- URE 2, each shell half is formed with innerand outer peripheral flanges, both flanges being continuous and bothlying in a common plane. Between the inner and outer flanges, the shellhalf is formed into a curved, generally of a life preserver embodyingdome-shaped transverse cross sectional configuration. As

best seen in FIGURE 2, when two shell halves are placed in an assembledposition with their respective flanges 16 and 18 in face-to-faceengagement, a tubular flotation chamber 20 is formed.

The two flanges of the two mated shell halves are joined or secured toeach other by continuous welds which form a watertight seam or sealbetween the two assembled halves so that chamber 20 constitutes awatertight flotation chamber. Recent developments in the welding fieldhave enabled the making of a watertight seam by welding aluminum bymeans of a silicon containing welding rod, the presence of siliconincreasing the flowability of the aluminum so that metal from the twohalves flows together throughly.

While flanges 16 and 18 have been shownas a simple scam in face-to-faceabutment, other forms of seams may be employed, the required resultbeing that of achieving a structurally sound, continuous watertightjoint between the two shell halves.

At either end of the assembled preserver, a pair of line attachmenteyelets 22 are fixedly secured, as by welding, to the assembledpreserver to enable the securing of hand is longitudinally drawn overthe assembled preserver to lines 24 to the preserver body. As best seenin FIGURE 1, the eyelets are located inwardly from the ends of theshorter sides of the rectangular ring configuration.

The purpose of so locating eyelets 22 is to facilitate the installationof a fabric sleeve 26 (FIGURES 3 and 4) on the preserver. Sleeve 26takes the form of an open ended tube of fabric, preferably woven nylon,which is dimensioned to snugly fit the body of preserver 10. The openends of the tube of fabric 26 enable the fabric sleeve to be installedon the tube by drawing it longitudinally onto the tube from one end inthe manner indicated in FIG- URE 3. Preferably, suitable means forsecuring the sleeve 26 in position on the preserver are provided. In thedrawings, such means are illustrated by snap hooks 28 mounted ingrommets 30 secured to the sleeve. The snap hooks, four on each end, canbe snapped into eyelets 22, the location of the eyelets not only placingthem where they do not interfere with the installation of sleeve 26, butalso locating the eyelets at a position where, when engaged by snaphooks 28, the sleeve 26 can be held firmly against longitudinal movementupon the preserver.

The aluminum sheet material from which the shell halves 12 and 14 areformed is selected to be of a thickness such that the assembled shellhalves provide a rigid structure which is sufficiently rugged to resistdeflection under a load comparable to the weight of a person standingupon the preserver. The exterior metal surface of the preserver may beanodized and provided with a colored surface, if desired.

The purpose of the nylon sleeve 26 is to enable the preserver to performthe function of a boat seat by bridging the space or opening between thesides of the preserver. Because the sealed metal shell halves provide apreserver having a completely watertight flotation chamber whoseflotation characteristics do not deteriorate, the

preserver dimensions can be quite small. A fully adequate single personpreserver can be made with outer dimensions of approximately twenty-four(24) inches by ten (10) inches by three (3) inches, a size whichprovides a single boat cushion of convenient dimensions.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, itwill be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosedembodiment may be modified. Therefore, the foregoing description is tobe considered exemplary, rather than limiting, and the true scope of theinvention is that defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A life preserver comprising a pair of like upper and lower shellhalves of aluminum sheet material, each of said shell halves having agenerally rectangular ring shaped configuration in plan with continuousflat coplanar flanges projecting from the inner and outer peripheries ofthe ring, the shell half being of dome-shaped transverse cross sectionbetween the flanges to define an enclosed tubular chamber between theshell halves when the flanges of the two shell halves are placed inface-toface engagement with each other, continuous weldments securingthe flanges of said shell halves to each other to form a watertight sealto said chamber, a pair of line attachment eyelets secured to theassembled shell halves intermediate the ends of each of the two shortersides of the rectangular ring configuration, and a removable fabricsleeve fitted about the assembled shell halves to extend across thespace between the two longer sides of the rectangular ringconfiguration.

2. A life preserver comprising a pair of like upper and lower shellhalves of aluminum sheet material, each of said shell halves having agenerally elongate rectangular ring shaped configuration in plan withcontinuous flat coplanar flanges projecting from the inner and outerperipheries of the ring, the shell half being of dome-shaped transversecross section between the flanges to define an enclosed tubular chamberbetween the shell halves when the flanges of the two shell halves areplaced in face-to-face engagement with each other, means securing theflanges of said shell halves to each other to form a watertight seal tosaid chamber, a pair of line attachment eyelets secured to the assembledshell halves intermediate the ends of each of the two shorter sides ofthe rectangular ring configuration, an elongate tubular nylon sleeveopen at both ends and adapted to be longitudinally drawn onto theassembled shell halves to snugly enclose the shell halves, and securingmeans on each end of said sleeve for detachably securing the oppositeends of the sleeve to said line attachment eyelets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,089,153 5/1963 Bosc 5-348 53,097,374 7/1963 Browning 9--l1 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,403 1895 GreatBritain. 32,460 3/1911 Sweden.

10 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. W. BUCKMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A LIFE PRESERVER COMPRISING A PAIR OF LIKE UPPER AND LOWER SHELLHALVES OF ALUMINUM SHEET MATERIAL, EACH OF SAID SHELL HALVES HAVING AGENERALLY RECTANGULAR RING SHAPED CONFIGURATION IN PLAN WITH CONTINUOUSFLAT COPLANAR FLANGES PROJECTING FROM THE INNER AND OUTER PERIPHERIES OFTHE RING, THE SHELL HALF BEING OF DOME-SHAPED TRANSVERSE CROSS SECTIONBETWEEN THE FLANGES TO DEFINE AN ENCLOSED TUBULAR CHAMBER BETWEEN THESHELL HALVES WHEN THE FLANGES OF THE TWO SHELL HALVES ARE PLACED INFACE-TOFACE ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER, CONTINUOUS WELDMENTS SECURINGTHE FLANGES OF SAID SHELL HALVES TO EACH OTHER TO FORM A WATERTIGHT SEALTO SAID CHAMBER, A PAIR OF LINE ATTACHMENT EYELETS SECURED TO THEASSEMBLED SHELL HALVES INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF EACH OF THE TWO SHORTERSIDES OF THE RECTANGULAR RING CONFIGURATION, AND A REMOVABLE FABRICSLEEVE FITTED ABOUT THE ASSEMBLED SHELL HALVES TO EXTEND ACROSS THESPACE BETWEEN THE TWO LONGER SIDES OF THE RECTANGULAR RINGCONFIGURATION.